Paintball guns which pneumatically project a round projectile containing a gelatinous colored material have become enormously popular within the last fifteen years.
Most paintball guns presently sold on the market operate by providing a short burst of compressed gas behind a paintball in the gun's paint ball chamber (firing chamber) using a compressed gas valve which is opened by an impact device known as a "striker." When the trigger is pulled, the striker impacts an impact opener on the compressed gas valve, thereby causing the valve to open briefly and release a short burst of compressed gas into the paint ball chamber. The striker can be operated by purely mechanical means, for example by use of a coil spring, or by pneumatic means whereby the striker is energized by a portion of the compressed gas.
In almost all paintball guns of this type, operation of the gun is initiated by "cocking" the striker by use of a manual cocking pin. The cocking pin draws the striker away from the impact opener on the compressed gas valve against the biasing pressure of a coil spring and the cocking pin and/or striker is latched in that position, ready for activating the firing mechanism. When the trigger is pulled, the latching mechanism is released, allowing the striker to impact the impact opener on the compressed gas. This causes the valve to release a burst of compressed gas into the paint ball chamber, thereby propelling a first paintball down the barrel of the gun. The striker is then retracted to the cocking position, either manually (by again use of the cocking pin) or pneumatically (by use of a portion of the compressed gas).
The cocking pin is generally disposed in an elongated slot in the body of the gun. This slot is generally open to the air. Several problems arise from this configuration. First, the exposed slot allows dirt and grime to enter the body of the gun. This is an important problem because most paintball gun tournaments are conducted outdoors. Second, the exposed cocking pin can easily be inadvertently bumped or jarred, thereby causing the gun to misfire.
Accordingly, there is a need for a paintball gun which simply and inexpensively eliminates these problems associated with the exposed cocking pin and slot.